xe2x80x9cPOTSxe2x80x9d is an industry-recognized acronym for xe2x80x9cplain, old telephone service.xe2x80x9d A POTS line is a telephone line, with a telephone number, like the standard ones subscribed to by residences and many small businesses. POTS lines are switched services. Telephone calls made from a POTS line are placed on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which is the public telephone service (i.e., the telephone system). When a call is made, the call is coupled through one or more telephone lines and one or more switches to its desired terminus. When a caller places a telephone call, the call is connected to a switch at the central office in the caller""s area. The central office is the location, usually a building, that houses telecommunications switching equipment or trafficking systems. At the central office, the call is placed over a central-office trunk, which in turn terminates at another central office in the receiver""s area. The central-office trunk is the communications path between the two central offices. After the call is received by the central office in the receiver""s area, the call is routed to the recipient.
Modern switching has far surpassed the day when human local operators connected calls to local residences and businesses at the central office. Today""s switching involves the use of powerful computers and complex electrical circuits and electronics. The modern central office not only performs traditional switching of analog voice signals, but supports digital voice, text, image and data communications via ISDN (short for xe2x80x9cintegrated services digital networkxe2x80x9d which is the digital end to end telecommunications network).
Modern central office switches offers subscribers a wealth of basic and advanced features including: abbreviated dialing, alarm call, call rerouting-busy, call waiting, call rerouting-no answer, call charge indicator, toll-free calling, conference calling, direct dialing to extensions, emergency call area, hot lines, call tracing, incoming call block, individual call record, outgoing traffic limitations, override block, subscriber with special services, subscriber priority, and three-way calling. Advanced features are provided to subscribers whose systems are equipped with ISDN Basic Rate (2B+D) or Primary (23B+D) Interfaces. Advanced features include automatic call-back, call forwarding, call hold, call pickup, call rerouting when busy, call waiting, charge handling, data transmission, dedicated connection, display information, incoming call block, multiline hunt groups, user groups and closed groups. Since the World Wide Web can be accessed via the telephone lines, future services available to telephone subscribers at the central office switch are imponderable.
While all these technological solutions provide valuable options to the subscriber, they have also provided new problems-coordination and administration of these services. A telephone subscriber may want one individual caller to be treated in one manner, and another individual caller to be treated in another manner. For instance, a subscriber may want to allow some individuals but not all callers to ring the subscriber""s line. The subscriber may want to allow unfettered access to the subscriber""s line for his or her parents, but not a telemarketer. The subscriber may want to be protected against automatic dialers but make sure his or her friends have the ability to place a telephone call to the subscriber undisturbed.
For instance, a subscriber may want to allow a salesperson to call him or her at home, but prevent the salesperson from making follow-up calls, once it is determined that the service or commodity is not desired. Alternatively, a subscriber may want to give someone temporary access with the option of later determining whether they would like to receive that individuals telephone calls. For instance, a subscriber may want to give out a phone number at the beginning of a personal relationship, but deny access to the private line after the relationship is over. Another option is directly routing callers to a voice mailbox should the phone be busy, so that subscriber is undisturbed while other callers that the subscriber may deem of higher priority are put through to call-waiting and are allowed to disrupt the phone call. It is possible the subscriber would like to have some of his or her phone calls forwarded to the residence of friends to be visited that evening, but not others. The telephonic system is programmable so that the subscriber is provided the option of having some of the phone calls forwarded to a cellular phone, or a voice over the Internet connection.
The subscriber may want some callers to receive certain personal announcements, but not others. For instance, the subscriber may want to give directions to the subscriber""s residence to people who will be visiting the subscriber""s residence tomorrow, leave a reminder to the subscriber""s spouse to pick up milk on the way home from work, and leave yet another message to a co-worker that a particular project has been completed. Or, if the subscriber""s time is valuable, he may want to charge particular callers fees to speak to the subscriber or access certain services or information. In the business setting, a subscriber may want to have the ability to alter whether a particular person receives a pager, voice mail, e-mail with a voice attachment, or is put through on a voice line. U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,731 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus for Handling Incoming Telephone Callsxe2x80x9d discloses the use of Personal Identification Numbers as applied to the general field of telephony, but does not disclose using the Internet.
The permutations are seemingly endless, and are limited only by the number of potential callers and services provided. Traditionally, the subscriber calls the phone company and selects what service they want. They may be interviewed by a live person at the telephone company, or alternatively, may be put through a voice mail box which will activate certain services by traditional voice or touch-pad recognition. Not only is this process cumbersome and laborious, but the data needs to be saved on a computer, adding additional hardware cost to the central office. These computers may not only be expensive, but may be of a proprietary nature in which the telecommunication company would like to limit access. What is needed is a way to coordinate and arrange all these options offered by the telephone company so that they may be put at the subscriber""s finger tips.
Our invention relates to a method to give a subscriber control over his or her telephone at the subscriber""s fingertips through the use of access codes that are distributed to callers. The incoming telephone call may be one made over the xe2x80x9cregularxe2x80x9d telephone network (the Public Switched Telephone Network) or the Internet. Our invention uses two networks, the public-switched telephone network and the Internet. These two networks are interlinked using an Internet gateway. The marriage of the two networks provides for an unprecedented ability to put control into the hands of the subscriber. Our invention allows the subscriber to dictate how a call is to be routed to the subscriber based on the access code input by the subscriber. This information is input using the Internet, empowering the subscriber with greater control and ease of use.
This invention is directed toward a telephonic system comprised of three major servers: an Access Coder Server (ACS), a Database Server (DBS), and a Call Router Server (CRS). All three servers are computers that have a Central Processing Unit, memory, an operating system and application software. The Access Code Server is an input device for receiving instructions on how to route telephone calls. The Call Router Server is a device that actually routes the incoming telephone call and executes routing instructions. The Access Code Server is on the Internet. The Database Server is a storage device for data used by those routing instructions. The Database Server and the Call Router Server may be either be on the Internet or the Public Switched Telephone Network.
This invention allows a subscriber to program how incoming telephone calls will be treated using the Internet. Using a computer at home, the subscriber inputs data regarding call treatment using a web site which is hosted by an Access Code Server. These data are sent from the Access Code Server to the Database Server where they are stored until needed (i.e., when an incoming telephone call is received).
The Call Router Server receives incoming telephone calls and routes them as outgoing telephone calls. The incoming telephone calls may either be a PSTN telephone call or a VoIP incoming telephone call. The outgoing telephone calls may either be to PSTN telephonic peripherals or to IP telephonic peripherals. The Call Router Server intercepts the incoming telephone call and seeks data from the Data Base Server 94 for routing calls. The Call Router Server forwards the call to the correct telephonic peripheral in accordance with the instructions.
The access code could be a DTMF signal, more commonly known as a Touch-Tone Signal(copyright), entered on the phone key pads. DTMF stands for xe2x80x9cDual-Tone Multiple Frequencyxe2x80x9d and is widely known in the industry. The keypads on the phone are assigned a unique combination of sounds of two different frequencies. The access code could also be stated verbally by the caller. The access code could even be the mere recognition of the caller""s voice, without the articulation of particular words to be spoken.
By xe2x80x9ctelephonic peripheralxe2x80x9d is meant any device that is interconnected to a telephone and is capable of being used in conjunction with the pubic telephone system or the Internet to provide additional service. PSTN telephonic peripherals include, but are not limited to, one or more one-way pagers, one or more two-way pager, emergency operator fallback, one or more wireless phones, one or more private lines, call waiting, call query, one or more voice mail boxes, one or more personalized messages, and video conferencing. Internet telephonic peripherals include, but are not limited to, one or more Internet one way pagers, one or more Internet two way pagers, emergency operator fallback, e-mail with voice attachment, Internet Call Waiting, one or more VoIP private lines, Call Query, any number of Personalized messages, Internet call limits and Internet Video Conferencing.
Internet Video Conferencing.
Using one""s computer at home, a modern and a web browser, the subscriber accesses the Access Code Server over the Internet and inputs access code information. Interfacing with a web page, the subscriber enters access code numbers followed by entries indicating the manner of call treatment for each access code. Using the web page, the subscriber selects the services (i.e., the telephonic peripherals to be made available to the caller) that the subscriber wants and determines how each access caller is treated and inputs this data on the Access Code Server. The telephonic system is also capable of allowing the subscriber to select how callers without access codes are treated. The telephonic system is programmable to allow routing either generally without regard to the location that the call is being placed, or based upon the CLID of an incoming PSTN telephone call or the IP address of the incoming VoIP telephone call.
The telephonic system is capable of being programmed by the subscriber so that person A is sent to a pager when he enters his access code; person B is put through to a voice line when she enters her access code; person C receives a message personally addressed to C when he enters his access code; person D has her calls forwarded to a particular residence when she enters her access code person E is able to create e-mail with a voice attachment when he enters his access code; person F is queried as to nature of his call when she enters her access code; person G has the ability when he enters his access code to be on call-waiting and interrupt a phone call with beeping if the subscriber is on the phone; person H is not be allowed when he enters his access code to be on call-waiting and interrupt a phone call with beeping should the subscriber be on the phone; person I is sent to a particular extension when she enters her access code, person J is sent to a particular mailbox of the subscriber when he enters his access code, person K is sent to another mail box when she enters her access code, person L has to pay to speak to the subscriber when he enters his access code; and all people without access codes are able to get through the private line between the hours of 7 P.M. to 8 P.M. by pressing a number on their DTMF phone. The telephonic system is programmable so that other callers may be given the option of calling a number of the telephonic peripherals.
The telephonic system is capable of being programmed so that person M is given the option of being sent to the private line, forwarded to a neighbor""s residence where a particular family member is visiting that evening, or paging yet another family member. These options are created by giving person M multiple access codes individually keyed to various telephonic peripherals, or by having one access code trigger a computer-generated voice menu. The subscriber inputs his or her selection into the Access Code Server. The subscriber then distributes access codes to future callers. Routing calls as just described based on the type of access coded may be thought of as xe2x80x9cAccess Code Routing.xe2x80x9d The subscriber may decide to keep matters simple and distribute only two or three access codes, whereby one access code is given to one group that is to be treated in one manner, and the second group receives the second access code and is treated in another manner.
Once the subscriber has determined how the incoming telephone call should be treated if certain access codes are entered, this information is sent from the Access Code Server to the Database Server by way of an Access Code Preferences Signal. This information is then stored in a memory of the Database Server. The Call Router Server has a Subscriber""s Rules Program which contains the instructions on how to route the incoming telephone call based on the access code entered by the caller.
The caller makes a telephone caller over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or the Internet. The telephone call is intercepted by the Call Router Server and the caller is asked for an access code. The Call Router Server transmits the access code to the Data Base Server and requests data for routing the call.
The aforementioned method of routing calls is predicated on the access code of the caller (and is therefore called xe2x80x9caccess code routingxe2x80x9d) and is not routed based on the location of the origin of the call. This can be overridden. Callers can be routed based on their telephone number or CLID (acronym for xe2x80x9ccalling line identification numberxe2x80x9d). This type of routing may be referred to as xe2x80x9cCLID Routing.xe2x80x9d Under this aspect of our invention, the subscriber could dictate that calls from a particular telephone number (maybe the subscriber""s mother""s telephone line) is put through to the private line without using an access code. Such a call processing may be thought of as xe2x80x9cCLID Routing overriding Access Code Routingxe2x80x9d because the system is indifferent as to whether callers from certain CLIDs knew or did not know certain access codes. Our invention contemplates the use of a hybrid of Access Code Routing and CLID Routing.
There is also an option that all callers from a particular CLID will be routed in a particular manner unless they have a particular access code. Suppose a subscriber wanted all calls from a subscriber""s spouse""s employer to be sent to a voice mailbox so that they are not disturbed during eating hours, but wanted the subscriber""s spouse to be able to call home and use the private line. Under such a scenario, the subscriber could program the Access Code Server so that all calls from the spouse""s employer""s CLID will be answered by a voice mailbox, whereas if the spouse enters his or her access code, the spouse is put directly through to the private line. This process may be thought of as xe2x80x9cAccess Code Routing overriding CLID Routingxe2x80x9d because a person with a particular access code could override the normal setting of call treatment for a particular CLID.
This invention exploits the creative potential of the Internet and employs it in the telephonic environment. Today""s Web browsers provide a user friendly environment to use the Internet. The Internet puts the development of information into the hands of subscribers themselves. The Internet represents a unique opportunity to allow the telephone subscriber to control his or her telephone with great ease. The ACS is a Web server which sends a control signal over an Internet to the PSTN call-router. The ACS is a gateway that bridges the public telephonic network with Internet. The subscriber conveniently inputs how the subscriber""s telephone is to be used, by using a computer that may be at the subscriber""s home or office. The subscriber accesses the Internet using a modern and a Web browser, and enters the URL (Uniform Resource Locator, more colloquially known as the xe2x80x9cweb addressxe2x80x9d) of the web site located on a Web server that is functioning as the Access Code Server. After accessing the web site, the subscriber can easily alter how each call is handled based on access code to facilitate Access Code Routing. CLID Routing could also be implemented, as could Access Code Routing overriding CLID Routing.
This invention is specifically implemented to provide public access (access from the public telephone network) to a private phone line. The subscriber decides who has access to his phone by distributing access codes. The subscriber could time-stamp the access codes to the private phone line (or for that matter, any of the other telephonic peripherals) so that the private phone line would only be valid for certain time periods. At subscriber""s wish, certain callers would have access only during certain times of the day, or a certain period of days, etc. The subscriber may change the access codes that enable a particular caller to access the private phone line. This has the effect of having an unlisted telephone number that constantly can be changed with respect to any one or group of particular callers.
Our invention facilitates Virtual Number Portability. xe2x80x9cVirtual Number Portabilityxe2x80x9d is the ability to move outside of a subscriber""s immediate switch area but keep the same local telephone number. Virtual Number Portability may (but not must) include the ability to use the same telephone number in other parts of the country, or even other parts of the world. Virtual Number Portability is a step toward xe2x80x9cone number for life.xe2x80x9d People may receive telephone numbers like social security numbersxe2x80x94their individual telephone number would simply follow them wherever they go. To obtain Virtual Number Portability, the subscriber need only use the call forwarding feature and forward telephone calls to the subscriber""s new line. It could function as call forwarding on a more permanent basis. As the subscriber moves from one location to another, the subscriber could simply have his or her calls forwarded to the new lines. All this could be easily done by using the Access Code Server. The subscriber would simply find out the phone number of the line he is moving to, and forward all the calls to that number. The subscriber would have the same ability to route telephone calls in particular manners based on available options at the new local. The entire telephonic system is portable. The telephonic peripherals would simply be at the new location. To avoid long-distance trunk charges, the call could be placed using the voice over Internet protocol.
Our invention transcends Virtual Number Portability in that the calls could be divided up as members of a household (or business) move. Thus, there is Individual Virtual Number Portability. Suppose that four peoplexe2x80x94father, mother, son and daughterxe2x80x94live in Seattle. Further suppose father and mother move to Florida to retire, and son goes to college in New York City and daughter goes to college in Boston. The Access Code Server could easily be programmed so that callers who have the parents"" access code are forwarded to their home in Florida; the callers who have the son""s code are forwarded to New York; and the callers that who have the daughter""s code are directed to the daughter""s phone in Boston. Particular callers could also be given multiple access codes and told which access codes will reach what parties. Thus, someone could easily be enabled to call the mother and father, the son and the daughter by simply knowing the original telephone number and the access codes. No matter how many times the children change dorm rooms, or the parents move around the world to sightsee, these numbers would remain valid. This would obviate the necessity of the four to contact all their friends, relatives and business acquittances and tell them of their new phone number.
Currently, phone numbers reveal the general location of a person via the area code and the following three digit exchange. Thus, in order to have a person reach them at their residence this information must be revealed. With our invention, if someone wanted to move without revealing information as to where they are moving, they could since there is no new phone number.